We had a 16-year-old female psychiatric patient who had been boarding here in the ED for more than a week. This patient was in a small room with no outside view and no opportunity for exercise or fresh air. Ashley persistently advocated taking this patient outside for a much-needed walk. Despite pushback from management and other care team members, Ashley kept at it and came up with a plan that was finally approved. Ashley took this patient outside for a walk around the hospital campus, and upon returning, the patient was observed to be smiling and in very much approved spirits.

Through this simple act and not a small amount of stubborn persistence, Ashley provided exactly what this young patient needed: exercise, fresh air, a change of scenery, and most of all, kind and compassionate care and advocacy when it was needed most. Ashley demonstrated exactly what a nurse is meant to be but is often lost in the hustle and bustle of our busy healthcare system.